Spain Grand Prix: Paris Olympics-bound Vinesh Phogat wins gold in women's 50kg category

Two-time Olympian Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat secured the gold medal after securing victory over Mariia Tiumerekova by 10-5 in the women’s 50 kg category grand finale of the Grand Prix of Spain international continental wrestling championship on Saturday, July 6.

Notably, Vinesh reached Madrid after making a last-minute appeal to get her Spanish Visa which was delayed but received only a few hours before her departure.

She bagged three consecutive wins in the women’s 50 kg category to advance to the final before competing against Mariia Tiumerekova, a former Russian wrestler, who is now representing the Individual Neutral Athletes.

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Vinesh Phogat started off with a dominating win

Vinesh Phogat, who was part of the Tokyo Games 2020 in the women’s 53 kg, initiated the day with the first round win against Yusneylis Guzman, a Pan-American and Central American championships winner from Cuba. Vinesh registered a win by 12-4 over the Cuban wrestler.

Later in the quarter-final bout, the Indian wrestler from Haryana pinned Madison Parks from Canada, the CWG 2022 silver medalist to advance to the semi-final against Katie Dutchak of Canada.

In the semi-final bout, the Charkhi Dadri-born wrestler Vinesh continued her domination to bag a win by 9-4 over Canadian Katie Dutchak to make it to the grand finale.

With the conclusion of the Grand Prix of Spain, Vinesh will take part in a camp in Spain and head to France well before the Paris Olympic Games, which will start on July 26.

In June 2024, the two-time world championships medalist Vinesh Phogat, competing in the Budapest wrestling ranking series, lost to Jiang Zhu of China 5-0 in the quarter-finals and failed to make it to the repechage rounds.

After her exit from the Budapest series, she continued her training in Hungary before heading to Madrid for the Grand Prix of Spain on Saturday, July 6.

In May 2024, the Sports Ministry’s Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) approved Vinesh Phogat’s request to include her personal strength and conditioning coach Wayne Lombard for the Hungary training camp.

Vinesh had requested assistance with Lombard’s airfare, visa fees, board and lodging, and local transport in Hungary.

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